March 29, 2020
I opened my porch door and called to Megan. I wanted to catch her before she went into Victor’s house. She had picked up the Trader Joe’s bag her son Matt had dropped when he left earlier. That was before the firetruck and the ambulance came. Matt must have told his mother something. What? Had he gone inside? Had he seen his grandfather unconscious and lying on the floor? Poor kid.
“Megan!” I called too loudly and the effort set off a painful round of coughs. Damned emphysema! “Do you know where he keeps his keys? That car needs to go in the garage!”
Megan answered, “No problem,” and shot me an okay sign. Megan is not exactly pretty, but she’s tall and thin. She looks healthy. About forty now, I would guess, and the sort who commands respect by always seeming to be in control. I wonder if she’s dating anyone now. It’s been almost a decade since Martin died. I watched her maneuver Victor’s new car into the garage and close the door with a click of the remote on her father-in-law’s key ring.
The next morning, I took my coffee to the porch and prepared for another long day of doing nothing. A bright, shiny new day. Almost April. I had been sitting in my rocker for a few minutes when an old Nissan, turn signal blinking, pulled into Victor’s driveway. It took me a minute to realize the woman hopping out was Susan, Victor’s sister. His twin, actually, although the two siblings no longer looked anything alike. They call her Sukey. Frizzy grey hair, old baggy sweater, and winter-weight sweat pants, she looked more like a bag lady than the sister of one of the wealthiest men in town. She opened the front door with a key. I wondered that Victor would have given her a key to his house. I didn’t think the two were that close any more.
My musing was interrupted by a large jet of water that spewed in a wide arc onto the roof of Victor’s house. Following the jet to its source with my gaze, I saw Angus Mink, standing in his own back yard garden and holding the hose as if he was unaware of the problem. Thankfully, Sukey was already inside the house.
Maria Hudgins 